Emergency Appliance Repair

An appliance repair emergency could be a leak or smoke or even flames coming from the household appliance.

In the event of an appliance emergency in your house, unplug the appliance right away and then call Heritage Appliance Repair for local appliance repair. If there’s an electrical fire from one of the appliances inside your house, we suggest calling the town fire department before you attempt to eliminate the fire by yourself.

An electrical fire can be scary and very dangerous, but there are a few steps to be prepared in the event of an emergency. If an electrical appliance is in flames, it is important not to panic. Follow these simple guidelines to help keep your home safe from electrical appliance fires.

HOW TO PREVENT ELECTRICAL FIRES

Homeowners can stop electrical fires before they start by following some simple guidelines for appliance safety in a home. Do not plug more than two electrical devices into a single electrical outlet—the wiring can get overloaded and then spark a fire, especially when there is clutter like paper or clothes near the electrical outlet.

It’s possible to forget about the dangers of larger residential appliances because they remain plugged in all the time, but they can present as much of a fire hazard as smaller appliances like kitchen toasters and space heaters. Large appliances like a washing machine or dishwasher shouldn’t be left to run overnight or while you are away from home, and don’t place a freezer or refrigerator in line of direct sunlight, to prevent possibly overworking the cooling systems inside.

Examine all outlets regularly for extreme heat, burns, and buzzing or crackling noises that could indicate electrical arcing. Make sure you keep at least one smoke detector on every floor of your home, and test them quarterly to keep them in working order.

WHAT NOT TO DO

If there’s an appliance repair emergency involving an electrical fire, it can be tempting to put out the flames with water, but water should never be used on an electrical fire.

Water will conduct electricity, and dumping water on or near a power source might cause a dangerous electrical shock. It could even make the fire stronger. Water could conduct electricity to other parts of the room, increasing the risk of igniting other flammable objects in the room.

HOW TO EXTINGUISH AN ELECTRICAL FIRE

The immediate step you want to do is unplug the electric device from the power outlet and call the fire department. Even if you can handle the fire on your own, it is important to have help if the fire does get out of control.

For smaller fires, you could be able to use baking soda to douse the flames. Covering the smoking or burning area with baking soda will sometimes block oxygen flow to the fire with minimal chance of electrocution. Baking soda also contains sodium bicarbonate, which is the same substance in standard fire extinguishers. You also could be able to smother a small fire using a heavy blanket, but only when the fire is small enough to not catch the heavy blanket on fire.

For big electrical fires, you need a Type C fire extinguisher. You should make sure you have at least one Type C extinguisher in your house. Extinguishers should also be checked often to ensure they have not expired. If you have a working extinguisher on hand, pull the pin at the top, aim the hose at the source of the flames, and press the handle. If the flames get too big to fight alone or you are concerned the fire might block an exit, you should leave the house right away, close the door , and wait for help from the fire department.

For the small appliance fires, call Heritage Appliance Repair once the flames are under control and we can diagnose the cause of the fire and repair the appliance and restore it to working order.

OTHER RESOURCES:

Appliance Repair Cost
Appliance Repair Tips
Appliance Safety
Repair or Replace Appliances
Refrigerator Parts